Publication Details - Vakehu Shenipahu

Abstract

The “Vakehu Shenipahu: Children's Tales of the Yawanawa People” is the first children’s book created by the Yawanawa indigenous community of the Brazilian Amazon. Written in both Portuguese and the Yawanawa language, it documents seven stories that have been passed down for generations through oral storytelling and ensures they will be passed on to future generations.
Yawanawa children illustrated each of the stories, which were recounted by 103-year-old spiritual leader, Paje Tata.
Published with the support of Forest Trends’ Communities Initiative and the IKEA Foundation, the book is an effort to bridge cultural and generational gaps that exist within indigenous communities that only recently came into contact with Brazilian society.